


August

by cranesflying



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-22
Updated: 2013-07-22
Packaged: 2017-12-21 00:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/893434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cranesflying/pseuds/cranesflying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their married life affords them so little time that Bellatrix and Rodolphus will take any opportunity to be alone with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	August

Early August pressed around them oppressively, filling the house with a humidity so thick they swore they could see it when they looked across the room. When the heat stretched from two days to a week, the cooling charms became too exhausting to maintain and so the interior of their large estate steadily climbed in temperature until it was almost unbearable to do anything but sit still and breathe.

However, societal norms mandated they actually do something other than just that, which meant the invitation to a large gathering at the Nott family estate could not be ignored for sake of their own comfort. Since the day promised to be just as stifling and uncomfortable as those that came before it, anything that required a lot of moving had to be completed in the early morning, before baths and before dressing in finery befitting a pureblooded social gathering. Rising early wasn’t necessarily a problem; both of them seemed to like the hours around sunrise best, especially when they were together.

A pair of large, glass double doors in their bedroom lead to a flagstone paved porch surrounded by a well-kept garden that functioned both as decoration and a means to preserve privacy for the couple. Taking advantage of that, the pair rolled out of bed and took their sparse breakfast of tea and fruit onto the patio still cool and dark in the time just before the sun rose. Clad in only one of Rodolphus’s white button-down shirts and a pair of simple black knickers, Bella sat straddled across his lap, one foot planted firmly on the cool stones while the other leg curled idly around one of the legs of the chair. Her husband was dressed similarly with only a pair of boxers between himself and his wife. A small but sturdy wooden table sat beside them and held both their untouched breakfasts as well as an assortment of expensive and well-cared-for shaving tools and a small lacquered shaving mug. This was a ritual the two of them rarely performed these days, what with parties and war meetings increasing in frequency, and so both of them relished the opportunity to partake in such a simple, intimate activity whenever it arose.

The heat-induced lazy days meant his soft beard was beginning to look unkempt and wild, and so the first order of business was to trim it carefully. It was a tedious, slow process, but he remained still as she slowly groomed away the stray, unruly strands with a pair of scissors and her fingertips. The only sound that passed between them was the soft noise made by the scissors as she trimmed--no breeze stirred the leaves of the trees and shrubs around them. Finally, she placed the tiny silver scissors on the table and ran her fingers along his beard, smiling faintly. He returned the expression and rubbed his face with both hands, then leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers briefly. Bella shifted slightly in his lap and smirked at the way he sucked in a breath in response to the brief welcome friction.

“Stay still,” she murmured, teasing, and he huffed a laugh as one hand settled on her waist while she leaned back with the small shaving mug and brush in her hands. He watched as she whipped the shaving soap and water into a lather with a practiced hand. Her gaze lifted to meet his as he slid his fingers under the oversized white shirt. The look she gave him said no games, but that always felt more like a challenge than a warning between them. Even still, he wouldn’t push her much, not in this position. Satisfied with her work, she gently began to apply the cream to his face, taking care not to miss spots as she slowly covered him from cheeks to chin to neck before she replaced the bowl on the table. He watched, smiling a little, as she next took the razor and carefully shifted again to sit comfortably close. This always made his heart pound even though they were awake before the sun had fully risen over the horizon and sleep still clung heavily to his limbs. He wanted her intensely.

The instant the cold steel of the razor touched his skin, he became acutely aware of everything, from the warmth of her body to the way the early morning humidity made her features look faintly dewy, up to her sharp jade green eyes as she focused so intently on her work. Best of all, such an act required her full attention, which meant he could watch her without hearing a single reprimand for staring. He felt the gentle scrape of the razor against his skin as she removed stray hairs from the edge of his beard on his cheeks. Her lips were parted and her eyebrows were knitted gently, he noted, and a thin sheen of sweat had started to gather on her cheekbones and her forehead. Strands of dark hair stuck to her face and her neck, but she seemed not to notice as she worked with such care. He thought she looked ethereal like this, all of her sharp edges softened and her ferocity channeled into a task that required the utmost care. It made his heart beat faster the longer she spent like this.

Her skin under his fingertips felt hot and soft, and he couldn’t help but skim up her side, only stopping when her light eyes flicked from his beard to meet his gaze. Another warning. He grinned, she ignored him. Again, he settled into content obedience, but sitting still for long wasn’t an option, not dressed like this and not in this position. As she painstakingly moved the blade near his nose and mouth, his free hand began to unbutton the shirt she wore, unable to contain the smile that spread across his lips as he watched a blush slowly creep from her chest to her cheeks.

“Rodolphus,” she cautioned. He wasn’t paying attention. His hand fell from her shirt to the top of her thigh and remained there as she continued. More time passed in near silence as the sun spilled soft light over everything as it rose higher over the horizon. Rodolphus watched as it wove strands of gold through Bella’s dark curls and highlighted the curves and planes of her face. Without hesitation, he lifted his hand from her thigh to touch her face, but she batted him away almost coldly. He knew better than to take it to heart. Rather than doing as told, he started on her shirt again, this time managing to unbutton it entirely before she gave him a disapproving glare. He moved to slip it from one shoulder, but with her free hand, she tilted his head up and began to run the blade along his neck.

Instantly he quieted as his heart skipped a beat. This was perhaps the most tense part, but also his favorite. He knew her deadly skill with a knife and he remembered it every single time he felt the cold bite of the metal blade against his neck, grazing his pulse and skimming tight skin. Each stroke was a dangerous caress. One slip and she could kill him, one slip and he’d bleed out in her arms. He could tell the sense of control had an affect on her too; it took all her concentration to keep from nicking him when she subtly began to breathe faster. The end was always the worst. As the sun reached the treetops, he could feel sweat slowly run between his shoulder blades, and he watched as a bead slowly rolled from her neck to her collarbone, pooling there for a moment before it trailed between her breasts. The heat and humidity was almost intolerable by the time she cleaned the blade for the last time and set it on the table, then leaned away from him enough to sit straight. The pair of them released a heavy sigh of relief, and Rodolphus cupped her face with both hands and kissed her forehead lightly. She smiled at him fully for perhaps the first time that morning, then carefully stood on stiff legs and backed a few paces to allow him to stand as well. 

Just inside the open double doors, he slipped the oversized shirt from Bella’s shoulders and kissed her down to the bed where they remained until both were shaking and breathless. As they came down, he kissed every inch of her body and wicked away small pools of sweat with his fingertips until the two of them had the energy to rise and carry on. The cool bath that came next passed in complete silence and only ended when the lateness of the hour demanded they dress and enter the world that stole so much of their time.


End file.
